Can Not Watch DVR Recordings

Hi, @Mikesnipesjr. Error code 30003-016 means that the program is blacked out in your location, and the owner of this program does not allow it to be streamed in your area. DIRECTV appreciates your understanding. Sophie, DIRECTV Community Specialist

@Mikesnipesjr 

How am I able to record a program that is blacked out? That means I shouldnt have the option to record it to begin with if the program is blacked out.

It doesn't mean that. The recording option isn't smart enough. It just records whatever channel in the status at the time of the recording. Just like if you tell it to record a channel, change your package to one without the channel, it will still record it but all you'll get is the message of "not subscribed" when you got to watch it.

This is the same as the satellite service. It will record the channel as you told it, regardless if you are authorized for the content on it or not.

What channel(s)?

What shows?

I think the point of this post is this: WHY would you let us record something that is going to be blacked-out?  The fact that it shows up in our upcoming queue leads us to believe that it's going to be recorded without issue.  If you know it's going to be blacked out, let us know so that we can make alternate plans!"

This is very frustrating.   Trying to watch baseball these days requires 18 subscriptions to various networks.  Baseball has a real TV problem and DirectTV isn't helping.  In fact, they are going out of their way to be obtuse.

Don't know your specific team or channel but one possible explanation is DirecTV defaults to record from the national channel carrying your game when you have set it to record all of your local team's games. If that game is blacked out by MLB you get a useless recording. If you get your local team games on another channel, like BravesVision for the Atlanta Braves which does not black out your local game, DirecTV will only record the game from that channel if you manually go to the guide and find the game and set a recording there. You have to find each and every game on that channel and set a recording to be sure you don't end up with a useless blackout recording. Pretty dumb. No option to choose which channel to record from. They do the same thing for football games.

@UpsetSportsFan 

As mentioned before, the boxes recording is very simple. It doesn't have a way to sort out authorization on each and every game just for recordings.

For most professional sports, if game is in-market than you watch on your RSN as that is your region. If a local channel got the rights to a specific channel, you watch it there instead (even if DirecTV doesn't carry that local for you). Otherwise out-of-market is the seasonal subscription (i.e. MLB Extra Innings).

Unfortunately, MLB goes further with special blackouts for Saturday and Sunday games. Plus selling the rights for some games to Apple TV. So MLB has arguably the most convoluted blackout rules compared to other professional sports.

I do wish DirecTV's record ability was better, especially when it comes to series recordings through the search. Safest option is to go to the guide and record manually.

Just because we want it to be better and seems like it should be better, does not mean DirecTV is going out of their way to be obtuse. I wouldn't be surprised if they have other improvements or fixes that would be higher priority.